The next evening, Ryou was surprised to find the castle's golden-haired messenger waiting for him outside his room. Apparently the canine-human had a directive for the retainer from Prince Bakura.
"Eh?" Two hickory-toned eyes blinked in surprise. "Jou, you have a message... for me?"
The blonde dog-boy nodded eagerly. His tail was waving in spastic circles as he struggled not to run in circles. Ever since the pale servant saved Yugi's life, Jou had a certain fondness for the full-human.
"Yep! The prince wants to see ya right away! He's waiting by the upper East Wing landing!"
But Ryou felt rather bewildered by this request- usually he was just given orders directly by Sir Seto or (occasionally) the royal himself. "Um, and did Prince Bakura perchance say why he wanted me to meet him there?"
But the cursed courier only shrugged and replied, "No clue!" before dashing off towards the main foyer.
'Odd...' The bemused youth could only watch as the overly-eager hybrid disappeared down the hall. 'I wonder what's in the East Wing...'
Most of the doors on the upper East Wing were not locked, which meant Ryou was free to explore them at his leisure. He wasn't sure what would be worthy of notice- the only thing he remembered in particular was a rather strange painting on one of the sitting room walls...
'Well, best not keep his majesty waiting...' The curious adjutant closed the white door behind him as he left his room. It had been several weeks since Ryou's 'retention' began. The peasant boy was now fairly familiar with the layout of Millénaire Castle, and he easily made it to the East Wing entrance. Sure enough, the cursed prince was waiting for him right off the stairway. The wild-looking ruler was leaning against the luxurious marble railing. He seemed to be deep in thought, and didn't directly acknowledge the summoned servant's presence.
"Er, my lord?" The manservant cautiously called out to the distracted aristocrat. "You- wished to see me?"
The man-beast shook his white-furred head before nodding once. He stepped forward, and carefully guided the retainer over to a small alcove further along the Eastern wing walls. "Yes, and what I am about to tell you is to be repeated to no-one- understand?"
The lower-class youth nodded earnestly.
"The time has come for you to repay your debt."
Ryou nearly swallowed upon hearing those words. He'd almost forgotten that he'd promised a special favor in exchange for aiding the once-ailing prisoner, Yugi. "Um, what would you request, your highness?"
"I grow weary of my curse." The ensorcelled Prince Bakura scowled in frustration. He held out his enlarged hands, glowering at the large claws adorning each digit. He flexed the fingers, watching as the cruel claws glistened in the midday light. "I have spent far too many months lurking about my own castle as a hideous beast. This blasted enchantment must have a solution! I know there are many books that speak of witchcraft and sorcery." He turned to stare at the waiting retainer. "You will help me find and read those books, taking note of anything related to this curse."
Ryou blinked, not fully certain he'd understood the prince's summons. "Can- can you not read, my lord?"
"I was cursed while I was still under tutelage." The royal admitted, his tone uncomfortably strained. "My tutor did not live in the castle; he only came by the first four days of the week. He was away when the spell was cast."
Ryou nodded solemnly. "I take it he wasn't affected?"
The pale monarch shrugged. "I can only guess... we never saw him again." Prince Bakura let out a faint huff. "Most of the townsfolk grew terrified of this castle after that- there were rumors of 'a dark shadow magic' overtaking the estate. No one would even step up to the gates."
The un-cursed boy frowned. 'That explains why no one really remembers the castle... they've either forgotten, or they're afraid.' "Hmm..." the modest peasant put one finger on his chin. "There is a bookstore in my village, but it's not very large." Ryou's face scrunched up in thought. "I can remember some of the books on magic- but most of them were only theoretical or historical accounts." He looked despondently at the cursed royal. "I only know of two other towns with book shops, and they are both a bit smaller than my own... do you know of another place for finding rare books?"
The sovereign youth seemed rather amused. "I see that you have been true to your word."
"Eh?" Ryou blinked. "My lord?"
The white man-creature sighed. "Never mind. Follow me."
The obedient attendant followed his liege down past the alcove. They continued along the left end of the hall, until they stopped in front of a pair of very large, white doors. Ryou remembered that these were the only locked doors on the wing.
Bakura pulled a set of keys out of his black breeches.
"Seto and I keep this room locked, so Jou can't get in." He frowned when he saw Ryou suppressing a giggle. "And just what do you find so humorous?"
"Well, I was just thinking... maybe you and Seto should lock every room in the castle, then." Ryou suggested impishly.
The taller male smirked in echoed amusement as he found the right key. "Hm- not a bad idea."
The prince turned the old passkey, and the doors opened with a loud creak. Ryou gasped in awe at the massive room now disclosed before him.
It was a library.
However, this library was nothing like the small bookshops Ryou once loved.
No; this library was absolutely extraordinary- shelves and shelves and shelves of books lined the ornate walls. The rows reached upwards, stretching nearly to the enormous ceiling, and several ladders were placed around the room. Giant cathedral windows provided ample lighting for any and all reading purposes. Each pane of carefully crafted glass was topped with a beautiful stained-glass carving of a cerise rose with three leaves.
The shy village youth felt his jaw go slack as he took in the opulent assemblage. The enormous space had clearly been designed with literary tendencies in mind- there were several pulpit-like stands for examining heavy folios, and many lanterns and candles. Even the massive stone fireplace was decorated with engravings of old tomes. The Olympian-sized walls were further covered in majestic paintings and carvings- the floor was covered by a plush, ruby-colored rug and the furniture was made of what looked to be a luxurious combination of red leather and lambskin.
Ryou simply stood in the entryway, not caring that he was probably forgetting to breathe. The infinite stretch of materials and extravagant décor was overwhelming. Even when he had toured King Solomon's castle he had never seen his royal library. For Ryou, the shock of seeing such a massive collection of invaluable books was breathtaking.
...Perhaps a little too breathtaking.
The Beast turned to watch the boy's expression, only to see him just as he began falling.
"Eh? Ryou?!" He easily caught the pale form before the boy could touch the floor. "Ryou? Wake up! Oh... cr*p."
A few moments (and some well-stocked smelling salts) later, the manservant was back to full consciousness. His jaw, however, remained open as he stepped inside the wondrous atheneum.
"T-this... this is the grandest, most marvelous book depository I've ever seen..." The awe-struck peasant mumbled as he moved about the dusty room. He held back a sneeze as he stepped across the unkempt carpet. Every movement by Ryou and the prince seemed to stir up a new cloud of dust particles.
Ryou looked around at the heavily-coated surfaces. "Does Sir Seto not use this room often? It seems like most of the collection has been untouched for years."
"Sir Seto has his own small collection of tomes, which he keeps in his room. I doubt anyone has been in here since my mother passed... she was most enamored with the botany section." The prince's face fell slightly as he voiced the last words.
"Ah... my apologies; I did not wish to bring up bad memories."
"Tch." The man-creature scoffed in faux-indifference. "The past is the past. I seek to change the future."
"Still... it seems a shame to waste all these beautiful books... I can't stand the sight of so many pages being neglected." Ryou admitted.
Prince Bakura grinned. "I must confess; there is a third key to this room- which is currently sitting, unused, in storage. Once you have found the book that will lead me to my cure, you will be welcome to use the library anytime you wish."
"Really?!" Ryou gasped out excitedly. The honest response amused the prince, but the retainer quickly realized just how eager he'd sounded. Embarrassed by his own enthusiasm, the bookish servant turned his head sideways before adding, "...um..I mean, 'thank you, sire'."
The monarch didn't comment, and the two soon reached the center of the depository. The lavish fireplace had been carved out of the very castle wall, and a rather plush sofa sat a few feet away from the hearth. It looked like a wonderful spot to curl up, and read for hours and hours...
Ryou turned to the Prince, knowing that he probably hadn't even begun to search through the collection (what with his concealed illiteracy). The kind youth tactfully asked, "so- were there any books you were thinking of checking next?"
"No- you can just pick one." The beast-prince's order was undemanding; almost like a suggestion.
Then the cursed man blinked- as soon as he'd finished his sentence, a whitish blur had appeared on the opposite side of the room. Ryou was flying from one end of the library to the other- he was moving faster than Jou after the dog had gotten into the gardener's hot peppers! The bookish retainer quickly gathered a large stack of tomes and began sorting through them with great enthusiasm.
Ryou stared curiously at the different subjects printed on the books' spines. "These aren't really in order, are they?"
"Pfth. Hell no."
The studious boy made a mental note to go over the collection and see if he couldn't find some sort of order to correctly arrange the books. 'But for now...'
Ryou finally pulled out three titles and asked which one his master would prefer. They were all rather macabre, and the prince chose a book on grisly and (suspectedly) supernatural war crimes of the last century. Bakura chuckled inside, thinking that the retainer had only picked the gory titles to curry favor with him. The beast was baffled, then, when the boy actually sounded excited as he read aloud the gruesome stories. In fact, when they got to certain chapters, Ryou ended up adding his own information from other books he'd read.
"Oh, and here it says 'Vlad the Impaler' was married at a young age; but we know now that he was at least 23, so that's somewhat subjective..."
The prince soon came to realize that the young man was truly fascinated with the same subjects that he himself preferred. The royal family had been disgusted when Bakura had bought the tomes; dark magic was hardly considered a suitable topic for aristocratic discussion. Yet he was amazed how such a polite, simpering commoner could also be engrossed in those same books. Both of the white-haired youths were gladdened to discover their similar interests, and they began to spend more and more time in the library. Soon it had evolved that nearly every evening after supper, the pale pair would both meet in front of the fireplace. Ryou would usually choose a book on either infamous unnatural crimes, or else studies on the dark side of the occult. And he would read aloud for hours to the cursed lord.
The Beast-prince would sit next to him on the rich velvet cushions, and would listen eagerly as the un-bewitched boy read aloud. Ryou's voice was melodic, and he had a talent for interesting inflections. And Prince Bakura soon found himself enjoying their 'story-time' sessions more and more.
Occasionally, Ryou gave the Prince minor lessons in reading, but truth be told; he almost didn't want the Master to learn. He wanted to read to him, every night, in front of the fireplace, just enjoying the gratifying company of someone who finally understood him (or at least some small part of him).
Little did he know, the ensorcelled Prince was holding the very same thoughts himself.
